We already passed along the news that Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is present for the first OTA session of the 2012 season that got underway today in Pittsburgh and now we are getting word from Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review of players that are not present or are not participating in addition.
Kaboly reported via Twitter that defensive end Brett Keisel and cornerback Ike Taylor were not present for the first organized activity and that linebacker Jason Worilds and guard Ramon Foster were present but did not participate on Tuesday. Also present were nose tackle Casey Hampton and running back Rashard Mendenhall, but both are still recovering from knee surgeries to repair torn ACLs that they both suffered late in the season. Kaboly says that Mendenhall did look good though and that both were working feverishly on the side. Wide receiver Mike Wallace, as expected, was not present on Tuesday and is not expected to be in attendance for any of the OTA sessions or the team mini-camp as he has yet to sign his one-year restricted tender offer. Also missing on Tuesday, as expected, were first and second round draft picks David DeCastro and Mike Adams, who are unable to attend because of school requirements. Also missing the Tuesday session due to school requirements was fourth round draft pick Alameda Ta\’amu per Kaboly.
While we do not know the reason that Keisel was absent, it likely signals that he is still trying to recover from the severe groin injury that he suffered in the AFC Wild Card game against the Denver Broncos. Taylor normally works out in South Florida at this time of year with trainer Tom Shaw and we hope to get clarification as to whether or not that was his reasoning for his absence in the future.
Both Worilds and Foster might be recovering from some sort of minor injuries and I will attempt to get Kaboly to clarify what indeed is ailing both of them. Kaboly did add via Twitter that unrestricted free agent tackle Max Starks was at the Steelers facility getting his knee checked out by the trainers as he has been in town for the charity golf tournament that he helps put on that took place on Monday. Starks said last week that he likely would not be ready by the start of training camp and that he has yet to hear from the Steelers organization in regard to him being re-signed in the future.
